From Anglican Ink.
A historic Declaration of Friendship between the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Catholic Church in Scotland was agreed on Day Two of General Synod, with Synod members giving overwhelming backing to what will be known as the Saint Ninian Declaration.
The friendship agreement articulates and supports a deepening relationship between Episcopalians and Roman Catholics in Scotland.
It affirms the possibilities for working more closely together while acknowledging that there are distinct differences between the two churches, and it encourages joint worship and prayer, shared preparation for baptism and confirmation, common study of faith, co-operation in lay and ordained ministry, and shared witness to the world.
The agreement had received input from the Faith and Order Board and the Inter-Church Relations Committee, and it already been approved by the Conference of Bishops of the Catholic Church in Scotland, ahead of its approval at Synod.
The Most Rev Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, was present at St Paul’s & St George’s in Edinburgh as the motion was debated, and warmly welcomed its acceptance by members, saying: “I value friendship deeply. It is only through friendship that we will come to trust each other, it is only by trusting each other that we will learn from each other, and it is only be learning from each other that we will take this forward, and the great project that Our Lord prayed for the night before he died will come again to pass, here in the Christian West.